Latest news with #AppleWatch
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Here's why the Oura Ring 4 is a postpartum mum's unexpected best friend
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. I've been using an Apple Watch user for a while now, starting with a Series 6 and later upgrading to a Series 8 when it was released three years ago. So for about five years now, I've had a bulky square-ish dial on my wrist- and I still do, as I type this article. On the flip side, I've owned the Oura Ring 4 for only about 3 weeks now, and it has become this silent source of encouragement pushing me to take care of myself while I go about my life. As a first-time mom, my sleep cycle has been erratic, to say the least, with frequent nightly wake-ups to feed my infant. This is exactly why I needed to know if I was getting optimal rest and if my health was truly supporting my ability to function during the day. This was the primary reason behind trying out the new Oura Ring 4, which, when compared to a smartwatch, is manageable to sleep with. Now, I use the Oura Ring 4 all the time as an overall health tracker, while the Apple Watch sticks to being my fitness companion. Prime Day returns July 8th: check out our ultimate guide While setting up my Oura Ring, the app asked me a bunch of questions to determine whether I had any special circumstances or health issues that could impact my readings, to which I ticked off the option of having small kids at home, acknowledging the fact that this could affect my sleep score. For instance, after a night of only about 5.7 hours of sleep, my Oura Ring app presented a detailed picture of my breathing patterns and heart rate, in addition to the standard awake time, REM sleep, deep sleep, and so on. This analysis put things into perspective for me, and the app gave me suggestions as to how I could avoid a long afternoon nap so I could get my sleep cycle back in sync, asking me to wind down during the night with a book or a quick mindfulness session, or taking steps to improve my sleep quality at night. While the advice didn't stem from the fact that I was frequently waking up because my infant needed me, it did give me actionable items that helped me understand my sleep scores better. The Oura Ring 4 tracks sleep using a special "Smart sensing" technology that involves a combination of advanced sensors that are fitted into the ring, along with machine-learning algorithms that are specifically trained to track different stages of sleep. It also has sensors that track your oxygen, heart, and respiratory rate to understand how your body functions when you sleep. As someone who is constantly juggling multiple responsibilities — from managing my role as a News editor, and also navigating the unpredictable challenges that come with having an infant, stress can easily become something that goes under the radar, manifesting as a headache or just pure anxiety, as I transition between home and work, without a moment to myself. This is when Oura's AI-powered Advisor comes into play. The sensors constantly monitor my physiological state, and when the smart ring tracks that I'm experiencing elevated levels of stress based on my heart rate variability (HRV), the app instantly sends me a quick notification to take a look at the stats and possibly step back and "breathe the stress away" with a quick four-minute mindfulness session that gives me the much needed moment of calm amidst the daily chaos. Beyond that, the Oura Ring 4 also doubles as a subtle activity coach. Instead of constantly bugging me with reminders to "close rings", it gently nudges me to get in 3-4 minutes of movement when it detects longer periods of inactivity. While I still track my workouts with the Watch, these soft reminders from the Oura Advisor actually play a crucial role in keeping me on track with my fitness goals. While those were the main reasons why I primarily use the Oura Ring 4, I sometimes also track my steps with it when I don't have my watch on. However, another cool feature that I'm currently experimenting with is "Meals," a super-easy way to keep track of what you're eating in a day. Unlike traditional food tracking apps that require users to manually input data, which again is time-consuming to me, all I have to do is take a picture of my plate, and this AI feature will break things down for me. It shows me each "Meal Item" and the nutrients my plate contains, helping me reach for healthier options. So if you're a first-time mom juggling work and the challenges that come with having a tiny human at home, then this ring-sized motivator is for you. It will keep track of your sleep, stress, and sanity. The best part is that you don't have to reach for the charger as often as you would for an Apple Watch, as it offers up to 8 days of battery on a single charge. While the Oura Ring 4 (starting around $349) is on the more expensive side, it's worth noting that the Oura Ring 3 has currently crashed back to its lowest price at Amazon ahead of Prime Day, offering a more accessible entry point into Oura's excellent tracking capabilities. Oura Ring Gen 3 (Heritage Silver): $249.00 $199.00 at Amazon Days before Prime Day officially kicks off on July 8th, buyers can get $50 off the Oura Ring 3 smart ring, representing a 20% discount on a great last-generation device. The Oura Ring 3 has many of the features modern users want in a smart ring, including health monitoring like sleep and heart rate trackers, and the ability to use alternative apps for a wide range of other uses. Meanwhile, it looks like a simple wedding band, and you can manage all of this data using the mobile app on your Deal
Digital Trends
14 hours ago
- Business
- Digital Trends
It's not yet Prime Day, but the latest Apple Watch is back to its lowest price
If you've been waiting for Amazon's Prime Day to take advantage of Apple Watch deals, you can actually start your shopping right now. For those who have their eyes on the Apple Watch Series 10, you can currently get the GPS, 42mm model with the Sport Loop from Amazon at 25% off, bringing the smartwatch's price back down from $399 to its lowest-ever price $299. That's a $100 discount that we don't expect to grow bigger when the shopping holiday arrives, so you'll want to proceed with the purchase right now while stocks are still available. Why you should buy the Apple Watch Series 10 While the Apple Watch Series 11 is expected to debut this fall, the Apple Watch Series 10 is still the latest model of the popular smartwatch. With a solid score of 4 stars out of 5 stars in our review, it's no surprise that we've tagged it as the best smartwatch for the iPhone in our list of the best smartwatches. It's got all of the excellent fitness features that have made the Apple Watch an amazing health monitoring device, as well as the innovative safety features such as Fall Detection and Crash Detection. The Apple Watch Series 10 will let you send text messages, take phone calls, listen to music, and receive notifications without having to take your iPhone out of your pocket, and it's incredibly durable with crack resistance, water resistance of up to 50 meters, and an IP6X rating for dust resistance. The Apple Watch Series 10 may look just like the Apple Watch Series 9 on first glance, but our Apple Watch Series 10 versus Apple Watch Series 9 comparison reveals a lot of important upgrades. The latest model features a thinner body, a brighter display that also expands farther down the sides for a better look at the screen, a faster processor with the S10 SiP, and quicker charging. Prime Day is a great time to shop for smartwatch deals, but the Apple Watch Series 10 is already on sale from Amazon. The GPS, 42mm model with the Sport Loop is back down to its lowest-ever price of $299 from $399 following a $100 discount, which is a rare chance to get the latest model of an Apple device at 25% off. You need to hurry if you want to get the Apple Watch Series 10 for this special price though — add it to your cart and finish the checkout process immediately to make sure that you grab the savings.
Engadget
14 hours ago
- Business
- Engadget
The Apple Watch Series 10 is on sale for $100 off for Prime Day
Prime Day 2025 will be here in a few days, but you can already shop great tech deals on Amazon before the July 8-11 event. Case in point: the Apple Watch Series 10, which is $100 off at the moment and down to $299. That's the lowest price it's been so far since it came out last September. We're only seeing this sale price on one colorway at the moment, but it's worth checking back to see if the particular configuration you want drops back down over the coming days. It's hard to believe that the Apple Watch is already ten years old. It seems like only yesterday that we got our hands on the first generation, and now the Apple Watch Series 10 is counting the days until the next generation is announced. Whether you're looking to upgrade from an older Apple Watch or this is your first time buying an Apple smartwatch (though keep in mind an iPhone is required to use an Apple Watch), this sale is a great opportunity to pick one up at a fantastic value. The tenth generation of the Apple Watch represents a powerhouse of computing on your wrist. In our hands-on review, we loved the comprehensive health and fitness tracking capabilities on the watch, which has been a strong niche for Apple. We were sad to see the blood oxygen app removed following a patent dispute, but features like fall detection and sleep apnea tracking are still intact. It's also the thinnest Apple Watch yet, feeling more like a slim accessory than a bulky gadget. We gave the Apple Watch 10 a score of 90 out of 100, and it remains our top pick for best smartwatch. If you're looking to send less, consider the Apple Watch SE. You can grab one for only $169 right now, or 32 percent off its usual price. It doesn't have all the bells, whistles and extra sensors that the Series 10 does, but you'll still get the core Apple Watch experience with excellent activity tracking, heart rate monitoring, smart alerts and more.
CNET
17 hours ago
- Business
- CNET
Walmart July 4th Deals: Shop the Best Deals and Save Big on Top Tech, Household Essentials and More
If you've been waiting to get your hands on some excellent deals, now's the time because it's finally the Fourth of July and Walmart's holiday sale is in full swing. We're seeing price cuts across categories, with laptops and new appliances seeing some deeply discounted prices. These deals are so good, you should consider locking them in before you get busy grilling and watching the fireworks later today. But if the products you're looking to buy aren't discounted yet, CNET's shopping experts are keeping an eye on the deals and updating this page regularly. So, all you need to do is keep checking back to find the best rollbacks from the Walmart Fourth of July sale. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. Best July 4th Walmart tech deals Beats Solo 4: $130 The Beats Solo 4 are some of our favorite over-ear headphones. While they are not a noise-canceling model, they do support lossless audio. They also offer solid voice-call performance and have a substantial 50-hour battery life. Details Save $70 $130 at Amazon Close Apple Watch SE (2nd gen): $189 The second-gen SE is already the most affordable Apple Watch on the market, and this deal drops it close to its all-time low price. The device has a 40mm display, is waterproof up to 50m and has tons of helpful fitness tracking features. Details Save $60 $189 at Walmart Close More July 4th Walmart tech deals: Best July 4th Walmart home and kitchen deals Keurig K-Iced Essentials iced and hot coffee maker: $59 The K-Iced Essentials is perfect for hot coffee in the winter and iced coffee in the summer. It has a "brew over ice" setting that starts hot to help extract flavor. The machine then cools down to ensure the ice won't melt and dilute the coffee with water. It even has multiple cup sizes, depending on how much coffee you want. Details Save $20 $59 at Walmart Close Arlo Essential Outdoor security camera: $30 This Arlo security cam features HD video resolution, night vision and two-way audio, so you can easily chat with whoever is at your house from your phone. It will also send alerts directly to your phone when activity is detected, making it easier to keep tabs on what's going on, especially if you're away. Details Save $20 $30 at Walmart Close More July 4th Walmart home and kitchen deals: Best July 4th Walmart outdoor deals Litheli cordless lawn mower: $140 With a cordless lawn mower, you can take it anywhere you need to cut grass. This model has multiple height adjustments, offering a customized experience. It's even foldable for easy storage. Details Save $100 $140 at Walmart Close Costway 4-piece rattan outdoor conversation set: $170 Sit outside and enjoy the sun with this rattan conversation set for your patio, backyard or pool area. It comes with two chairs, a sofa and a coffee table. Details Save $269 $170 at Walmart Close More July 4th Walmart outdoor deals: Best July 4th Walmart toys and games deals Huffy 26-inch Rock Creek mountain bike: $98 This Huffy mountain bike is great for any outdoor adventure this summer. It has smooth eight-speed index with a Shimano rear derailleur for the best performance as you go uphill and on flat surfaces. Details Save $20 $98 at Walmart Close Step2 Neat & Tidy Cottage II brown playhouse, plastic kids outdoor toy: $148 Let your kids' imagination run wild right in your backyard with this homey cottage-style playhouse. The durable plastic dwelling even has an electronic doorbell and flooring inside. Details Save $50 $148 at Walmart Close More July 4th Walmart toys and games deals: When do July 4th sales start this year? While Independence Day falls on the Fourth of July every year, holiday sales often hang around for a few days before and after. Amazon also announced that its next Prime Day will take place from July 8 to 11, so the two sales may blend. Where are the best July 4th sales? Fourth of July sales offer some of the year's best prices on tech, appliances, mattresses and fashion, making it a great time to snag stellar deals on must-have items. And there are a ton of retailers that will be participating in the holiday savings. Unsurprisingly, Walmart is usually one of the best places to buy items because it sells products from almost all major brands across these popular categories. Outside of Walmart, we recommend checking out appliance and tech sales at Amazon, Home Depot and Lowe's, as well as holiday sales on a large variety of categories at Target and Best Buy. Should I shop July 4th sales or wait for competing Prime Day deals at Walmart? There's no definitive way to determine whether Fourth of July sales or Prime Day deals are best. Both sales offer plenty of deals, including some of the best prices we'll see all year. Plus, the two sales will likely blur into one big discount extravaganza, given their proximity. Although Prime Day is for Amazon, Walmart has announced it will also host a competing sale that will run from July 8 to 13 -- two days longer than Prime Day. Fourth of July sales offer more variety in retailers, although much of your shopping may take place on Amazon anyway. Plenty of non-Amazon retailers will keep their sales rolling through mid-July, often directly competing with Amazon Prime prices. Since you'll be able to shop so many Fourth of July sales in just a few days, grab what you need and then keep tabs on Prime Day deals later for anything you miss out on. How to keep up with the best July 4th sales There are a lot of ways to ensure you're getting the latest scoop on Fourth of July offers. The CNET Deals team covers all the best price drops, discounts and deals every day from across the web, highlighting the best offers. We'll be tracking all the major retailer sales following the Fourth of July holiday and sharing the promotions you need to hear about, and there are plenty of ways to hear from us. One option is to bookmark to check out our latest coverage. You can also follow @CNETDeals on X to see everything we publish or sign up for our CNET Deals newsletter for a daily digest of deals delivered to your inbox. Another great option is to sign up for CNET Deals text alerts for curated deals during major shopping events. Remember to install our CNET Shopping browser extension to help ensure that purchases you make all year round will be at the lowest price.
Indian Express
17 hours ago
- Indian Express
From camera remote to studio-quality recording: iOS 2026 is likely to upgrade Apple AirPods with these features
Apple will be rolling out iOS 26 soon. While the tech giant has teased several new upgrades to its OS, there is a lot more coming to Apple devices. AirPods fans are likely to witness some cool features on their favourite audio device. According to recent reports, the new upgrades will be integrated into Apple AirPods following the launch of iOS 26. From improved audio quality to AirPods functioning as a camera remote, here's a quick look at a few of the changes that we may see on the AirPods. One of the most handy features would be using the AirPod's stem as the camera remote. This may happen after the iOS 26 update. One simply needs to connect their AirPods to the iPhone, open the camera app, and press and hold the stem of the AirPod to record or capture pictures. To end the recording, you need to repeat the press and hold to stop recording. If you have an Apple Watch, you can control your iPhone's camera remotely from your wrist. But AirPods getting a remote access feature will likely be quicker in comparison to the watch, as with the Apple Watch, you need to follow a few steps before accessing the camera, rather than a quick gesture. Studio-quality audio recording is supported by the AirPods 4 and Pro 2 for use in podcasts, videos, songs, interviews, and other media. According to Apple, Voice Isolation filters out background noise so that high-quality vocals can be captured while on the go. Higher-quality audio can be recorded when creating films or recording podcasts with your devices. The new upgrade is also likely to introduce a more natural vocal texture and clarity to FaceTime calls, iPhone calls, and all CallKit-enabled apps like Zoom thanks to the H2 processor in the AirPods 4 and Pro 2. The iPhone, iPad, and Mac all support the Camera app, Voice Memos, Message dictation, third-party camera apps, and video conferencing apps, and they all offer studio-quality audio recording and enhanced call quality. With iOS 26, Apple is reportedly adding an option to easily install beta updates on AirPods. When you connect your AirPods to your iPhone and tap into them in the Settings app, a new and updated interface will appear. With the new update, turning on the new 'Pause Media When Falling Asleep' feature will cause the AirPods to pause audio when you go to sleep, whether you're wearing them and listening to music, a podcast, or a book. After connecting your AirPods to your iPhone, you may find it under the AirPods settings. It will not only save your place in a podcast or audiobook, but it will also save battery life by shutting off your AirPods so they don't run all night. However, you will the latest AirPods firmware and iOS 26 to use the feature. iOS 26 will likely fix one of the most annoying issue with AirPods and CarPlay. A new feature called 'Keep Audio in Headphones' stops audio from switching to Bluetooth or car speakers when you're using the AirPods to listen to music. If you have this option enabled, your music will continue to play in your AirPods as soon as you enter the vehicle. It can be activated in iOS 26. It needs to be noted that all the above-mentioned features are speculative and Apple has not officially announced them. This is a compilation based on leaks and rumours, so we suggest you to take this information with a grain of salt.
